| Whole number paroled | 100 |
| Number returnedd | 15 |
| Number not reportingd | 0 |
| Number of those paroled who have received final discharged | 1 |
| Number deceasedd | 2 |
| Number now on paroled | 82 |
| Percentage of successd | 85% |
PHILADELPHIA COUNTY PRISONS.
The Committee appointed to visit the Philadelphia County Prisons have been diligent in this service and the reports show that 6100 visits have been made to the prisoners at Moyamensing and Holmesburg.
The General Agent, Fred. J. Pooley, has assisted several hundred at the time of their discharge with lodging, clothing, railroad fares, and with articles to sell, while they are awaiting more permanent employment. He has given help to a considerable number in securing situations. The Door of Blessing has indeed proved to be true to its name in giving help to the women at the time of their discharge.
GENERAL AGENT.
Our General Agent, Fred. J. Pooley, has found a large field for service at the Central Police Station at City Hall. He makes a special object to have interviews with those who have had a preliminary hearing before Magistrates, and who have been committed for trial before the Judges at City Hall. More than a thousand letters has he written in behalf of those who have been arrested in the last year. Very often he secures the release of young prisoners by promptly communicating with parents or relatives, who assume responsibility for the offender. Thus many first offenders are turned from the error of their ways by this timely attention, and escape the schooling in crime which they would inevitably receive by further association with hardened criminals. The work requires to be done with the utmost tact and discretion, and several of the Magistrates have borne testimony to the efficient service of our General Agent. He has presented a more detailed report, an abstract of which will be printed in the “Journal.”
COUNTY PRISONS (OUTSIDE OF PHILADELPHIA.)
Members of our Acting Committee have reported visits to the prisons in Allegheny, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Monroe, Lancaster and Westmoreland and other counties. With the passage of the proposed amendment to our Constitution, providing for additions to the Acting Committee, it will be possible to secure workers in other counties of the State, who, we trust, will be of material assistance in collecting information, and also in co-operating with us to secure measures to ameliorate some of the evils of the present system. There are very few county jails in the State whose construction and management may be regarded as creditable. Some of the officials are doubtless doing the best they can with the means at hand. But the great majority of jails throughout the State have made little progress in the last half century. “No prison without employment” should be our campaign cry. It ought not to be impracticable for a number of the smaller counties to unite in the management of a prison farm to which petty offenders should be sent. Such a farm should be self-supporting.
It should not be forgotten that the State of Pennsylvania has at least two institutions which for some years have illustrated the value and efficacy of farm life for prisoners. One is the Huntingdon Reformatory, the other is the Allegheny Work House at Hoboken.